Central College in Pella was recently certified as an affiliate of the Bee Campus USA program, designed to marshal the strengths of educational campuses for the benefit of pollinators. Central is the first college in Iowa to earn the designation and among 46 campuses nationwide that have earned the designation so far, according to the Bee City USA website. The designation recognizes educational campuses that commit to a set of practices that support pollinators, including bees, butterflies, birds, bats and more. Central College’s half-acre vegetable garden has honeybee hives managed by a student bee club. The garden also features permaculture, native prairie plants and a certified monarch way station, all providing habitat for pollinators.